Monster High: Season of the Witch

37. Sweet Sixteen

Beatrix steadied Autumn as the scarecrow leaned into her for balance.

Thick stitches crisscrossed Autumn's body. The school nurse had forbidden her from fearleading for the rest of the month. However, now that a week had gone by since her fall in the gym, she was on the path to recovery.

Astar walked beside the girls, and the trio moved slowly to avoid rushing the scarecrow. Beatrix was on her way to a MSS meeting and planned to drop Autumn off at the library beforehand.

The third murder caused several spring classes to be canceled during the first week. Although students had grown desensitized to the murderous news, the question of "who's next?" hung in the air. Fear was apparent in every students' face.

The fact that Beatrix had actually seen Henry Hunchback's body had left a nauseating pit in her stomach.

And the idea that Grey was keeping her in the dark about the murders was almost as worrying. She couldn't tell why he'd been so territorial over the crime scene.

Plus, Beatrix had another reason to feel uneasy: it was her 16th birthday.

She hadn't mentioned it all day, but she knew Autumn and Astar were aware.

Now that she was 16, she'd have to fight tooth and nail to resist selling her soul after her trial with Astar. A 16-year-old witch had no excuse to hold onto her soul.

As the three of them continued down the hall, Beatrix contemplated how to prevent Astar from attending today's MSS meeting with her.

Grey would be there, as always, and she wanted to avoid another confrontation between the boys.

"I need you to stay with Autumn," Beatrix told Astar.

"What's the point of hanging around a scarecrow when I have a perfectly good witch right here? No offense, Autumn."

Autumn smiled. "None taken. You know, you're so helpful, maybe Bea is right. Can you help me in the library during her meeting?"

"As much as I'd like to, I'd rather sit in on Bee's Monster Sensitivity Seminar. Your friend thinks I'm a brute, so some sensitivity training will do me good."

"That's too bad. I was going to do our History of the Undead homework. That's alright. Another time."

Beatrix knew what Autumn was doing. She was trying to entice Astar away so Beatrix could get some space.

Astar paused. "You mean the assignment that's so mind-numbingly boring I'd rather gouge my own eyes out than do it?"

Autumn nodded.

Astar looked tempted, clearly wanting to cheat off Autumn.

"I'm ditching you, Bee," Astar said. "I'll be back when your meeting's done."

"Counting on it," Beatrix waved.

The timing couldn't have been better. As soon as Astar and Autumn disappeared, Grey approached with Deuce, Clawd, and some other boys.

Beatrix concealed herself behind a row of lockers. She overheard Deuce saying, "My mom asked about your dad... what's been going on at Death Co...."

Grey said something like: "... Preoccupied... went rogue..."

The conversation halted when Clawd announced, "Someone's here."

"I got it," Grey said, and Beatrix heard his footsteps approach her hiding spot.

"Fancy seeing you here," Beatrix said.

Grey looked down at her. "I can see your soul a mile away."

"What does that even mean?" Beatrix asked, recalling how Grey had "seen" her soul at the beginning of the school year, which allowed him to easily identify her as a witch.

Grey didn't answer. Instead, he turned back to the group of mansters. "Go ahead without me. I'm mentoring a seminar."

"Since when did you have friends?" Beatrix joked.

"Wouldn't you like to know, now that you're Ms. Popular with that devil following you around," Grey returned. "Seems like you've been warming up to him."

"No, he's just..." Beatrix hesitated, uncertain of how to describe her relationship with Astar.

"There you are! You're late!" Mr. Gore exclaimed, opening the door to the nearby MSS classroom.

When Beatrix entered, she was greeted by purple ribbons hanging from the ceiling and a small cake on a nearby desk.

"Surprise!"

Orion popped a confetti popper a little too close to her face.

"Orion! You're gonna take her eye out!"

"I'll take your eye out!" Orion growled at Guillermo.

"Boys..." Johannah warned.

"Happy birthday, Beatrix," Jackson said, handing her a gift bag.

"This is for me?" Beatrix gasped, giddy. However, her excitement dissipated when she remembered which birthday they were celebrating.

Despite her mixed feelings, she mustered some happiness as she opened the gift bag.

She pulled out a new cooking apron that read: Witchin' in the kitchen.

"Now you don't have to use those grimey lunch lady aprons," Johannah said. "It was Grey's idea."

Beatrix blushed. "Oh, really?"

Grey was trying to maintain a cool expression after being outed by Johannah.

"You guys didn't have to do this. Thank you!" Beatrix beamed.

With cake in hand, everyone took their seats as Mr. Gore began a lesson on aquatic monsters.

Jackson raised his hand. "Are we not going to talk about the... third student? Mr. Gore, should we expect to be sent home early this semester?"

"Monster High's administration has been discussing whether to keep our doors open this year," Mr. Gore addressed the group. "I can't give you an answer yet, unfortunately."

"Isn't your demon supposed to be fixing things?" Orion asked Beatrix. "He's gotta get this nightmare resolved already."

"Astar's been watching the perimeter at night, but so far there's no updates," Beatrix said.

Grey muttered something under his breath, annoyed, but Beatrix couldn't make it out.

The conversation shifted back to aquatic monsters for the remainder of the hour, and at the end of the lesson, the group held a moment of silence for Henry Hunchback.

Beatrix headed out of the classroom, ready to run into Astar, but the devil was nowhere to be seen.

Grey joined her in the hall.

"We need to talk."